This necklace is the first piece I created at SilverHub Jewellery School and Studios. My husband bought me a short Introductory course as a birthday present. As it turned out it was a present that was to last several years as I love going there and continue to go most weeks.
The necklace is my interpretation of the solar system and as well as a piece I like to wear, it’s a metaphor for the programmes that Anna and I run and a powerful metaphor for learning for me.
That Introductory course at Silverhub was an out of this world experience and each element was an individual and connected learning experience. I loved it, for me it was so much fun, and I created something beyond what I thought I was capable of.
One of the first things we learned was how to make a jump ring. The jump ring is the small ring at the top of a pendant that a chain or in this case leather goes through. Learning how to make a jump ring meant learning how to measure, saw, anneal, pumice, pickle, shape, file and solder the silver wire to create a ring.
There was much more to it than I expected, however being able to make jump rings in different sizes, widths and textures opens the door to making links for chains, finger rings, bangles, pendants and in this case the outer ring of my solar system design – infinite possibilities.
I hadn't set out to make my version of the solar system. My original design was a pretty boring three interlinked hoops. And if I'd made that and was truly happy with it, I think Lisa and Jess (the brilliant tutors at Silverhub) would have been happy for me. I guess I’ll never know because the way they helpfully push, challenge and question, I’m rarely content with, or stick with the first design I come up with, and the designs evolve as I make the pieces.
And I make mistakes. Or as Lisa and Jess said, I created "learning opportunities" for myself.
The first time I heard Lisa say that I thought this is the kind of learning environment I want to learn in and create for our own programmes.
We don’t have blowtorches, hammers and files on our programmes, but we offer an environment that is non-judgmental, where there are no mistakes only learning opportunities, where creativity risk-taking and having a go is encouraged and supported. Where it’s fun and we have a laugh.
And just like the jump rings, the skills you learn on our Introduction offer infinite possibilities.
